Life-boat.



S. MACKIEVICZ.

LIFE BOAT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. l, 1916.

1 1 88,465 Patented J une 27", 1916.

WITNESSES: Z [N V EN TOR.

' ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STANISLAW MACKIEVICZ, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF TO JOHN A. NEWARK, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

LIFE-BOAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedJune 27, 1916.

Application filed March 1, 1916. Serial No. 81,391.

certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Boats, of which the following is a,

I specification.

This invention relates to life boats, and its primary object resides in the provision of a boat the buoyancy of which is increased by means of fluid filled compartments and tubes arranged and proportioned to keep the vessel afloat even after it is partially filled with Water by leakage or heavy seas. I

Another object of my invention resides in providing means for, propelling and steering the boat, which are constructed and arranged so that one person seated within the boat can operate both devices.

A still further ob ect of my nvention 18 to provide means whereby a canopy or cover canbe tightly stretched over the entire boat to shield the occupants thereoffrom wind and Water.

With the above and other objects in view,

all of which will fully appear in the course of the following description, my improved boat consists of the construction and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings in the various views of which like parts are similarly designated, and in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved life boat, Fig. 2, a longitudinal sect! on along the line 22, Fig. 1, Fig. 3, a transverse 3, Fig. 2,

section taken along the, line 3 drawn to an enlarged scale, and Fig. 4, a detail view of the mechanism for operating the propelling and steering devices of the boat.

Referringmore specifically to the draw ings, the numeral 2 designates the hull of a boat provided interiorly with side seats 3 and transverse thwarts 4. Applied exteriorly of the hull is a continuous band 5 of tubular flexible material placed between two series'of outwardly projecting arms 6 which at their outer ends carry hand-rails 7 which completely surround the hull of the boat. The tubular band has a valve-closed nipple 22 by which it may be filled with an elastic fluid such as air,and the rails extend beyond the outer surface of the band in order to protect it against damage by objects with which the boat comes in contact.

10 which are arranged in two series at 0ppo-- site sides of its center. The hooks comprised in the two series are bent in opposite directions so that a canopy having a corresponding number of rings or eyelets in a line intermediate of its longitudinal edges can be stretched lengthwise of the support. The gun-wale 12 of the boat has exteriorly a series of outwardly projecting hooks 13 to secure the edges of the canopy, which to this end are likewise-provided with rings or eyelets. It will be seen that a canopy or cover thus stretched and supported, covers the entire extent of the boat and effectively shields the occupants thereof against wind and water, windows 14: being provided to admit light to the interior of the boat.

A false bottom 15 provides an air-tight compartment 16 extending lengthwise of the boat, and partitions 17 provide similarcompartments l8 and 19 at the bow and stern of the same.

Extending beneath the side seats and thwarts of the boat are tubes 20 of elastic material which are connected into a series of cross tubes which communicate for the passage of fluid from one to the other. The series of cross tubes within the boat and the tubular band disposed exteriorly of the same, connect with the compartments at the bow and stern of the boat as shown at 21 in Fig. 2, so that air or other fluid introduced into the band 5 through the nipple 22 will pass into the compartments and the hollow web and by filling tl same increase the buoyancy of the vessel. v

The boat is steered by means of a rudder 23 and moves through the water by a screw propeller 2% both of which are mounted at the stern of the hull. The propeller is rotated by means 01 a hand-operated mechanism the construction of which will now be described.

bottom of the boat, arryat their upper ends] a shaft 26 which at its extremities is provided with oppositely extending handcranks 27. A sprocket wheel 28 mounted upon the shaft between the standards, is by means of a chain 29 connected with a similar wheel of smaller diameter which is car ried on a shaft 31 mounted in bearings ad jacent the lower ends of the standards, and the last-mentioned shaft is operatively connected with the shaft 32 of the propeller by a pair of cooperative beveled gear-wheels 33 and 34.

The rudder mounted for rotation about a vertical axis abaft the stern of the boat, is steered by means of'a yoke 35 which is fixed on its shaft within the boat.

A pair of treadles 36 pivoted exteriorly of the standards 25, preferably upon the ends of the shaft 81, are connected with the corresponding ends of the rudder yoke by means of rods 37 and they are yieldingly maintained in their normal position by means of springs 38 which connect them with a relatively stationary part.

It will be seen from the above that one person seated at the stern of the boat can propel the boat by rotation of the crank shaft and at the sametime steer the boat by pressing the treadles with the foot.

The advantages obtained by a boat constructed as herein described, will be apparent.

The fluid-filled tubes and compartments give stability to the hull and greatly increase the buoyancy of the same. The surrounding hand rails while protecting the exterior, tubular band, provide ready means for saving people, since they can be grasped by a great number of people in the water.

The simple means for steering and propelling the boat, require the attention of but one person, thereby affording to the'other occupants of the boat, full opportunity of issisting persons in the water in entering the oat.

I desire it understood that while I have shown and described my invention in the best form at present known to me, variations in-the construction and arrangement of its parts may be resorted to within the spirit of my invention as set forth in the appended claims:

1. A life-boat comprising a hull having air-tight compartments, hollow tubes within the hull connected with said compartments, a surrounding band exteriorly of the hull in communication with said compartments, and means for introducing a fluid into said connected parts.

2. A life-boat including a hullhaving airtight compartments, tubes within the hull,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

